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Original poster

Isolde or Zelie?

32 replies

TIPosy · 12/04/2019 15:31

Hello,

Pregnant with our fourth and just learnt today it is a little girl. Smile

After Josephine, Iris and Theodore, we hesitate a bit. I’m french and my husband loves the name Zélie (pronounced Zay-lee), with also Isolde as a contender.

What are your thoughts?

Other contenders are Eleanor (but after Theodore?), Phoebe, Rose (but with Iris?), Florence, Beatrice.

Thanks. :)

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wendywoopywoo222 · 12/04/2019 15:39

I wouldn't know how to pronounce either of them so you may spend a lot of time explaining or correcting people.

bridgetreilly · 12/04/2019 15:45

I love Isolde. I would find a name with an accent a bit irritating, tbh.

AnnaMagnani · 12/04/2019 15:47

Isolde is lovely but there was a recent thread which established most UK people were going to pronounce it Isold-er

Zelie is even nicer but even tougher for an English person to pronounce a French sounding Z.

Depends how much you can live with this!

daisypond · 12/04/2019 15:55

Zélie is lovely. I prefer it to Isolde.

Quintella · 12/04/2019 15:58

I've never heard of Zélie before but I like it. Isolde is okay but a bit of a cumbersome word. Nicer written than said aloud.

TrixieFranklin · 12/04/2019 16:11

I don't know how either are pronounced.
The second I would guess as being Nelly with a Z (so rhymes with Jelly), the first I wouldn't know where to start trying.

EngagedAgain · 12/04/2019 16:17

I would go with Eleanor or Josephine. Did you mean Theodora, as I thought Theodore was a male name?

Starlight39 · 12/04/2019 16:18

I like Rose or Florence best. I do like Isolde but not 100% sure on how to pronounce the end bit! I'm not so sure on Zélie.

Original poster
TIPosy · 12/04/2019 16:21

Hi EgagedAgain, those are the names of my existing children. Josephine, Iris and Theodore. :)

OP posts:
small2018 · 12/04/2019 16:41

Go with Zelie!!

EngagedAgain · 12/04/2019 16:51

I'd go with Eleanor, Phoebe or Florence. In no particular order 😬 Rose I think is maybe too much with Iris but I think Eleanor is ok with Theodore. Great choice of names all round.

Calixtine · 12/04/2019 17:06

I love Isolde but Zélie is pretty too and I’d probably go with that to avoid repeating initials.

ZebraKid71 · 12/04/2019 17:45

I lo ve Zelie, but dh vetoed 😭

Peachbubble · 12/04/2019 17:56

I think Isolde or Zelie may cause confusion over their pronunciation. From your other contenders, I like Florence.

KingHenrysCodpiece · 12/04/2019 22:03

Love both of them!

DramaAlpaca · 12/04/2019 22:21

I love Zelie, it's unusual & beautiful (sorry, can't do the accent on the 'e')

MercyBodle · 13/04/2019 03:12

I would cross off Eleanor because you have Theodore - people constantly saying Roosevelt would be too annoying. Also cross off Rose since you have Iris. I like both Zelie and Isolde, but preferring the more feisty and unusual Isolde (if you don't mind having 2 'I' names). I also like Florence and Beatrice, but Isolde is my favourite.

BlackPrism · 13/04/2019 03:18

Eleanor is bori g and will become Ellie, pho eve (friends) and Beatrice (gross). Go for zelie

Pinkybutterfly · 13/04/2019 03:23

I like zelie. Also love margarita.

Jessabean · 13/04/2019 04:51

I like Isolde - was never aware of a pronunciation issue with it before as to me its pronounced I-zold but see that some may pronounce it I-zol-dah - still think it's a lovely name - could be Izzy for short! Could go Isobel (or Isabelle but I prefer Scottish spelling) as an alternative option?
Zelie is cute as well- not sure how pronunciation differs in french and if this would annoy you if very different from the English way of saying it.

Of your others I like Florence the best - don't exactly dislike Rose Eleanor or Beatrice but as pp said Eleanor will be shortened to Ellie which I'm not personally keen on, Rose and Ivy is perhaps a bit much though wouldn't rule it out if you really like it- maybe Rosie instead? - and Beatrice just seems such a harsh name compared with all you previous children's names.

Original poster
TIPosy · 13/04/2019 06:39

MercyBodle, thanks I never thought of the Roosevelt association... Hmm Was more concerned with the similar ending sound but having siblings with same names as two famous married persons sounds a bit incestuous actually... Confused Will definitely avoid that one.

I think I need to go back to the drawing table and rethink a name a bit closer to Josephine and Iris. Classic and timeless but not too common. Nothing feels quite right at the moment. Got a few months to get my head around it hopefully.

Thank you for all the feedback! Smile

OP posts:
howtocomplain · 13/04/2019 06:42

Love Isolde!

Whereareyouspot · 13/04/2019 06:45

Sylvie
Claudia
Claudette
Amelie (although quite well used in uk)
Marie
Anais
Dorothea
Laurelie

NewMum19344567 · 13/04/2019 06:45

How do you pronounce the name Isolde? I love zeile, may be hard to spell or pronounce growing up but is a beautiful name that matches the other children and it's nice you get to bring your french heritage in!

mathanxiety · 13/04/2019 07:22

I love Zelie.

Prefer Iseult over Isolde, which I always have to look at again because my brain registers 'solid'.